Does the static stretch of the squat grip inhibit the press or bench that follow?

[Cascadian]

Okay, the following is not a critique of any lift, nor of NLP's lift choice and arrangement. I am all in, and marvel at the magnificent logic and simplicity of the entire affair.

Consider this just an interested layman's musings.

The lowbar squat's grip position puts one in repeated strong and fairly long static stretches.

Investagoogling brings up articles that seem to have a common theme: static stretches longer than 60 seconds can inhibit muscle force production for, say, the next 15-30 minutes.

So, does the static stretch inherent in the squat grip inhibit force production during the press and bench, which NLP has following the squat?


Or to put it another way, is this why I'm not benching 350 on week 8?

;-)

[Mark Rippetoe]

Where did you see the static stretch/60 seconds information (I refuse to call it data, since it's exercise science)? Did you read the paper, and does it make any sense to do the study that way? And even if correct, is this not mitigated by the time that separates the squat work sets and the pressing work sets?

[Matt James]

I've been supersetting my presses and squats for quite a while, to save time. If it's an issue, I haven't noticed.

[Cascadian]

Where did you see the static stretch/60 seconds information (I refuse to call it data, since it's exercise science)? Did you read the paper, and does it make any sense to do the study that way? And even if correct, is this not mitigated by the time that separates the squat work sets and the pressing work sets?

To be clear, I am in no way promoting the static stretch theory. I'm just a bystander who has been sprayed with it countless times.

But your question is good question: Where did this come from?

I remember getting nagged at in high school and college for not "stretching" before doing whatever.

Then I remember getting nagged at for stretching, and told that only "dynamic stretching" was appropriate before some force-production activity.

As I got older I just learned through experience that the best way to warm up was to ease into the activity itself. And I got nagged at for that.

Through this whole arc I've been nagged at for not doing yoga.

And currently I am begin nagged at for not doing Egoscue. (Don't ask. I have no idea.)


Anyway, I guess enough "papers" on static stretching have been spit out to even enable the parasitic generation of "meta-analyses" on the matter. [Cue eye roll.] These can be founding lining the bottom of the PubMed parakeet cage. I did not read a couple of them beyond the abstracts, nor am I going to. Mine was just an idle musing.

But even if this static stretching business were a thing, your point is well taken regarding the time between working sets. When I let it in, the time from unloading the squat plates, reloading and stepping through the warmups, and taking a rest before the working set really does add up to quite a bit of time, so yes, you are correct.

Okay, so the sub-350 bench is a me thing.